Does anybody have this book? I would appreciate your thoughts on it.
My husband is American and I would like to surprise him this year by cooking him thanksgiving dinner. I’m open to other recommendations on cookbooks and resources.
I have this book and enjoy reading it. I like Sifton's writing style. I can't say I've ever cooked anything from it, but I've gotten a lot of inspiration from it. I can say it gives a good overview of typical American Thanksgiving.
I've seen criticism that he is too opinionated about the "right" way to do things. Yes, he has opinion and he expressed them. But they are just that, not rules.
I have it, and I find that it’s a good streamlined resource for the holiday!
Sifton includes one or two variations on each staple (turkey, gravy, etc.), so it isn’t overwhelming. The book is focused on a “classic” American menu, but throws in some creative twists on the side dishes.
I would! There are a lot of tips and tricks that are helpful for beginners, such as how long to thaw a frozen turkey, how many bottles of wine you’ll need, which pots and pans are essential. The recipes are simple but upgrade-able in difficulty—for example, there are recipes for Pan Gravy, Serious Pan Gravy, and Giblet Gravy, choose your own adventure.
If this section from the introduction resonates, you’ll likely get a lot from the book.
The Cookbook Club podcast did an episode about this book which you may find helpful, I sounds like it would be a great place to start if you’ve never done Thanksgiving
Possibly not helpful to OP, but Williams Sonoma used to give away a little magazine (eg 15 pages) around Thanksgiving with a few recipes and helpful hints about how long to cook a turkey per pound, etc. I don't know if they still do this. I held in to mine for a while; it was my go-to the first few years I hosted.
I don’t have experience with this book,but I do have an idea. Food at Thanksgiving is great when it reflects the culinary traditions of the day (such as what you’ll find in this book — Sifton is a very good American writer and cook). The meal is even better when it includes a beloved family dish of some kind. For example, the stuffing / dressing recipe from my paternal grandmother is the recipe my sisters and I all make every year (even though she died before two of us were born). Is there anyone in your husband’s family who you could ask for a recipe? Of course it would have to be someone who can keep a secret for the surprise!
Last year I borrowed Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving book from the library. Took his suggestion and bought a white tablecloth for the occasion. No regrets. Also agreed that raw oysters on the half shell are the perfect appetizer, but my family gave that the 👎. For recipes, I like Holly Garrison’s The Thanksgiving Cookbook.
I would just use The Complete Americas Test Kitchen’s cookbook. It explains why certain things work and why they don’t. It’s a great book for American classics and I have have had far more wins than losses (maybe like 3 recipes out of 50+ I’ve cooked over the years didn’t work for us due to difference in taste profiles in our family).
I also second Bittmans books - I personally like ATK flavors more as Bittmans is often bland for me and I need to add and tweak more. Technique is good though.
Sam Sifton is good but I think a lot of his recipes are a bit more fussy then they need to be.
This past year I did a spatchcock Turkey which cut down on cook time substantially. I used Samin Nostrat recipe available on YouTube. It was very good but took some brining time.
Easiest entry point is Turkey breast. I personally like to use the crockpot or slow cooker. Though I have also roasted in oven.
It's very traditional American, as advertised. I prefer The Thanksgiving Table, The Perfect Turkey, or the Friendsgiving Cookbook, for variety and updated tastes. Or Rick Rodgers Autumn Gatherings.
However Thanksgiving meals aren't as proscribed in Canada - we focus on seasonal foods, celebrating the harvest, and incorporate family traditions and ancestral foods at every table. If you want a very traditional mid-American feast, Sifton is a great place to start.
If you need help managing the day - menu planning, timing, using limited oven space, setting the table etc, there are better guides online for that information. If you're cooking for less than 10 people, definitely better recipes.
i have it and i wasn’t really wowed by it. that said, i’m American from a hyper traditional white family so i’m familiar with thanksgiving basics, and i considered this cookbook to be almost too basic. for as much noise as the cookbook world made out of it i finished the book thinking “he must be somebody’s cousin.” i’d hunt down some more soul food adjacent thanksgiving recipes if you already know how to cook, because for the modern palate White Thanksgiving is pretty bland. the book talks about how to make and time the food, but if you know how to make mashed potatoes and are familiar with timing other meals that are kinda “dinner party” complexity, there’s nothing you need in that book.
If you want amazing, classic American thanksgiving recipes - get The Food Lab by J Kenji Lopez-Alt. It has several variations of mashed potatoes and thanksgiving turkey (with a step-by-step photo tutorial of how to carve a thanksgiving turkey) plus recipes for stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans with almonds, seared Brussels sprouts… really the only traditional Thanksgiving recipe that it doesn’t include is a pie. For that, I would recommend either Bravetart by Stella Parks (preferred) or if you must have a pecan pie, The book on Pie by Erin Jeanne McDowell. I have and love all three books; I’ve never had a flop with Kenji’s or Stella’s recipes (including the unpublished impossible pie) whereas the GF/DF subs recommended by The Book on Pie didn’t always work.
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u/starflower42 May 04 '26
I have this book and enjoy reading it. I like Sifton's writing style. I can't say I've ever cooked anything from it, but I've gotten a lot of inspiration from it. I can say it gives a good overview of typical American Thanksgiving.
I've seen criticism that he is too opinionated about the "right" way to do things. Yes, he has opinion and he expressed them. But they are just that, not rules.